Food Cost in restaurants: complete guide 2026
📊 What is food cost?
Food cost is the percentage that ingredients represent of the selling price. If paella costs €4.20 in ingredients and you sell it at €14, the food cost is 30%.
🎯 Optimal food cost by category
Tapas: 25–30% · Rice dishes: 30–35% · Meat: 35–40% · Fish: 35–45% · Drinks: 15–25%
🧮 How to calculate it
Food Cost % = (Ingredient cost / Selling price) × 100. Remember to include waste: chicken 15–20%, fish 30–40%.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Not including waste, not updating supplier prices, not separating ingredients by dish. Use Pricora to automate it.
📈 Impact on margin
Reducing food cost by 3% on 90 dishes/day = +€1,200/month in additional profit.
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Try free →Frequently asked questions about food cost
What is food cost in a restaurant?
Food cost is the percentage of a dish's selling price accounted for by ingredient cost. It's one of the most important profitability indicators for a restaurant.
What is the ideal food cost?
The ideal food cost ranges between 25% and 35%. Above 35%, prices are too low or there is excessive waste. Below 25%, prices may be too high for the local market.
How is food cost calculated?
Food Cost % = (Ingredient cost ÷ Selling price) × 100. Example: ingredients at €3, selling price €12 → food cost 25%.
What is the difference between real and theoretical food cost?
Theoretical food cost is calculated based on recipes. Real food cost includes waste, errors and spoilage. The difference between the two reveals operational inefficiencies.
How can Pricora help me control food cost?
Pricora automatically calculates the food cost of each dish as you enter the ingredients. It also compares your costs with current market prices in 29 countries to detect if your suppliers are overcharging.
Complete guide to food cost in restaurants
Food cost is one of the fundamental pillars of restaurant management. Controlling this indicator can make the difference between a profitable business and one with constant losses.
In Spain, the restaurant sector generates more than €120 billion annually. However, many restaurant owners don't know the exact food cost of their dishes, which prevents them from making correct pricing decisions.
How does inflation affect food cost?
Ingredient inflation has been one of the main challenges for the Spanish hospitality industry in recent years. Olive oil, meat and dairy products have seen significant price increases. A price monitoring system like Pricora allows you to detect these changes before they impact profitability.
Food cost percentages by restaurant type
- Fine dining restaurant: 28-35%
- Casual restaurant: 25-32%
- Fast casual / Fast food: 20-28%
- Cafeteria and breakfast: 22-30%
- Pizzeria: 20-25%
- Japanese cuisine restaurant: 28-35%
Pricora monitors the prices of more than 30,000 ingredients and dishes in 29 European countries, updated daily from open sources. This allows any restaurateur to know whether their food cost is aligned with the market.